Dr. Kourtney Cockrell

Biography

Kourtney Cockrell is a change leader, strategic advisor, and social justice educator with decades of cross-sector experience increasing access and opportunity for marginalized students and young professionals. She is an instructor in the Master’s Learning Organizational Change program at Northwestern University and co-founder of the FGLI Consortium, a national organization dedicated to improving the experiences of first-generation and/or lower-income college students at highly selective universities and colleges. Kourtney currently serves as the Vice President of Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she leads the Chicago market Fellowship Initiative, a college access and leadership development program for young men of color, and spearheads new investments focused on young women of color. Previously, she was the Founding Director of Student Enrichment Services at Northwestern University, where she led a cross-functional team working with students from first-generation, lower-income, and/or undocumented backgrounds. Kourtney has also served in various leadership roles, including National Director of Career Alumni Programs at Posse Foundation and Admissions Officer at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. She is a seasoned practitioner in diversity, equity, inclusion training, student success initiatives, and organizational change leadership. Additionally, Kourtney consults with universities and colleges to design and implement programs enhancing educational access and success for first-generation, lower-income, and underrepresented students.

Research Interests